Blast Past Traffic In Porsche's Dazzling 500-HP 911 Speedster

This is something Porsche will always do now, offering a Speedster variant of its acclaimed 911 just as that generation is about to retire. And so here we are, the end of the 991 generation 911 is here and that means the limited edition 911 Speedster has arrived.

Making its live debut here at the 2019 New York Auto Show, the 911 Speedster not only looks stunning with its low-cut front windshield and side windows and manually-operated fabric top, but it’s what located behind the rear wheels that generates pure bliss: the 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six, which is capable of revving up to 9,000 rpm and producing 502 hp and 346 lb-ft of torque. Without a roof, driver and passenger can experience every moment of that audible bliss. Porsche claims a 0 to 60 mph time of just 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.

And because it’s a Speedster, Porsche has literally stripped out its interior of anything deemed irrelevant for the sake of greater performance. Gone is air conditioning and traditional door handles, which have been replaced by door pulls. Even the door panels are lightweight pieces with storage nets. The traditional six-speed manual over the PDK dual-clutch saves around 40 pounds while Porsche’s Ceramic Composite brakes weigh around 50 percent less than the standard iron rotors.

All told, the 911 Speedster tips the scale at only 3,230 pounds. If you haven’t already guessed, the Speedster is essentially a GT3 and it even incorporates many of its components, such as a specifically-calibrated rear axle steering system and dynamic engine mounts.

Sound good to you? Of course it does and you’ll have to make quite an effort to purchase one of the 1,948 examples planned for production, each priced at $275,750, including the $1,250 delivery fee. Porsche says order books will open on May 7 and US customers are expected to receive their cars later this year.

Buyers will also have the chance to buy an exclusive 911 Speedster Chronograph watch featuring a carbon fiber dial, and a rotor styled to look like the Speedster’s center lock wheels. Cool. But once these 911 Speedsters are gone, that’s it. The 991 generation will officially be retired.